Sherman shifts Barrera in ‘trying to get him on the field’

COLLEGE STATION — With kickoff still about five months away, now is the time for Texas A&M to experiment in finding the best 22 players or so to get on the field starting Sept. 4 against Stephen F. Austin State.

Experiment coach Mike Sherman did on Thursday, in shifting Stephen Barrera from offensive tackle to defensive end during spring drills.

“It’s not a knock against him as an offensive player, but he’s a pretty good athlete,” Sherman said after practice. “He’s strong. I want to make sure we’re making the right decision with him, and keeping him at the right spot.”

Barrera (6-5, 302), who earned three early starts last year at left tackle as a true freshman, played on the defensive line at Clear Lake High.

“He might go back, or he might stay where he is, depending on how well he does on defense,” Sherman said. “I’m trying to get him in a position where he can play. We’re trying to get him on the field.”

Meanwhile Sherman will keep sophomore running back Christine Michael off the field for a few days, after he sprained his left elbow on Thursday during spring drills.

Also, junior Bradley Stephens is out for a time with a high ankle sprain. Stephens has moved back to running back after spending a couple of weeks at safety this spring.

The Aggies are scheduled to practice four more days before the annual Maroon & White scrimmage on April 17 at Kyle Field. The game kicks at 1 p.m.

 Back at it

I’m back in the Aggies saddle after spending the past couple of weeks covering the NCAA women’s tournament, so it’s time for a little catch-up ball:

Basketball coach Mark Turgeon invites you to Reed Arena at 5 p.m. Sunday for a celebration of this past season, when the Aggies made the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. Player awards will be presented and a highlight video will be shown at the free event.

Baseball starts a key series against Baylor at 6:30 tonight at Olsen Field. The series then shifts to Waco for Saturday and Sunday games. The Aggies are 19-8-1 and tied for third in Big 12 play with a 5-3-1 record. I’ll be covering the game at Olsen and the contests at Baylor Ballpark as my mother would say, Lord willing.

 A good kickball cause

A good Ol’ Ag, Chris Field, gave me a heads up while I was covering the NCAA tournament that the Mercy Project and the World Adult Kickball Association plan to set the Guinness world record for the “Longest Kickball Marathon.”

The planned 50-hour game starts today and runs through Sunday at the Community Park in Rowlett. The game is being played to “raise funds and awareness for child slavery in Ghana, West Africa.”

“The Mercy Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing children around the world who are in slavery,” Chris writes. “We are deeply committed to speaking on behalf of these children who have no voice.”